Pair charged in Passaic teen's murder plead not guilty

Two men who were charged with robbing and fatally shooting a Passaic teen last week pleaded not guilty to murder charges Wednesday.

AMY NEWMAN/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Daniel Johnson, left, and Zaire Palms in court Wednesday.

Daniel Johnson, 31, of Passaic, and Zaire Palms, 19, of Jersey City are being held on $1 million bail each at the Passaic County Jail. They were arrested after what authorities said was a violent robbery spree in Passaic and Jersey City that claimed the life of 18-year-old Quasim McKinney.

More than a dozen relatives of McKinney – some wearing T-shirts emblazoned with his picture – filled one side of the courtroom in Paterson as Johnson and Palms were formally charged with felony murder, armed robbery, conspiracy and weapons offenses.

Christopher Dunn, an attorney from the Passaic County Public Defender’s Office, entered not-guilty pleas for both men. The case will now be referred to a grand jury for indictment.

Prosecutors said McKinney, a 2013 graduate of Passaic High School, was standing with three men on Main Avenue in Passaic on May 11 when Johnson and Palms pulled up in a car. The pair robbed McKinney’s group and fired multiple shots, one of which hit McKinney, they said. McKinney was taken to the hospital and later died from his wound, prosecutors said.

After the shooting in Passaic, Johnson and Palms went to Jersey City and were involved in two other robberies before police arrested them and handed them over to Passaic police, prosecutors said. Police also recovered a .380 caliber handgun and McKinney’s cell phone from the pair, prosecutors said.

In addition to the charges in Passaic County, Johnson and Palms are charged in Jersey City with receiving stolen property, resisting arrest and weapons offenses.

Michael DeMarco, Passaic County chief assistant prosecutor, said at the hearing on Wednesday that he will seek a bail-source hearing if either of the defendants comes up with the money to post bail. A bail-source hearing would require a defendant to prove that the money to be posted for bail comes from a legitimate source and is not a product of criminal activity.

Pair charged in Passaic teen's murder plead not guilty

Two men who were charged with robbing and fatally shooting a Passaic teen last week pleaded not guilty to murder charges Wednesday.

Daniel Johnson, 31, of Passaic, and Zaire Palms, 19, of Jersey City are being held on $1 million bail each at the Passaic County Jail. They were arrested after what authorities said was a violent robbery spree in Passaic and Jersey City that claimed the life of 18-year-old Quasim McKinney.

More than a dozen relatives of McKinney – some wearing T-shirts emblazoned with his picture – filled one side of the courtroom in Paterson as Johnson and Palms were formally charged with felony murder, armed robbery, conspiracy and weapons offenses.

Christopher Dunn, an attorney from the Passaic County Public Defender’s Office, entered not-guilty pleas for both men. The case will now be referred to a grand jury for indictment.

Prosecutors said McKinney, a 2013 graduate of Passaic High School, was standing with three men on Main Avenue in Passaic on May 11 when Johnson and Palms pulled up in a car. The pair robbed McKinney’s group and fired multiple shots, one of which hit McKinney, they said. McKinney was taken to the hospital and later died from his wound, prosecutors said.

After the shooting in Passaic, Johnson and Palms went to Jersey City and were involved in two other robberies before police arrested them and handed them over to Passaic police, prosecutors said. Police also recovered a .380 caliber handgun and McKinney’s cell phone from the pair, prosecutors said.

In addition to the charges in Passaic County, Johnson and Palms are charged in Jersey City with receiving stolen property, resisting arrest and weapons offenses.

Michael DeMarco, Passaic County chief assistant prosecutor, said at the hearing on Wednesday that he will seek a bail-source hearing if either of the defendants comes up with the money to post bail. A bail-source hearing would require a defendant to prove that the money to be posted for bail comes from a legitimate source and is not a product of criminal activity.